Calamigos Ranch Wedding, Malibu

I want to start off by saying that I love you both very much. I appreciate your banter, your fluidity with one another, and your sensitive souls. It’s as if you’ve been married all along.

Tru, it’s strange to have seen you be a boy, then a boy grown tall, and finally a man; catching glimpses of you in stages of your life has been something I’ve never forgotten.

I wanted to tell you both that I’ve been super busy and that’s held me back from completing this in the normal turnaround time, and while all of that is true, it’s not the whole truth. I fell behind because for me this day was a massive teaching moment, an experience that will stay with me always, to make me smile out of happiness for you both, to remember all the people I knew as a younger man that day, and a day that will probably haunt me for years to come.

It’s bittersweet. Truly. It’s all bittersweet. I didn’t know that I had no clue what that actually meant and now I do, and it’s more heartbreaking than the usual tone it’s said in; we use it ironically, to say that we’re experiencing some form of discomfort while also enjoying the moment lightheartedly. It didn’t feel that way at all…

Moments before you two took your place to begin your ceremony I had received news of David’s passing. David LaPietro, a man, who, in his prime was unmatched in wit and his ability to communicate massive amounts of information at a rate that left so many hungry for more. An entire chunk of my life was spent knowing him, trying to emulate that glow that made people just want to be around him. A man flawed and broken by his own merits… unable to ever relax or enjoy a slower pace of life, where the hidden beauties are often placed by God.

Due to this, my creativity took a major hit and I coasted through the next couple of hours on auto-pilot, only catching brief moments here and there… I failed. So for the last few months, I’ve dreaded opening the files to see what I missed and being left with the weight of wondering how I was to pull a beautiful film out of that place, and to my surprise I had plenty to work with because of you two. Because of that spark that makes you two seem so experienced at life together, that magic that other couples are striving for… so natural to you two. 

The day your father, my friend of 20 years passed, Tru, was bittersweet for me. He was hyped for your wedding day and wouldn’t stop talking about it, and to know that I made it and he didn’t hurts my soul deeply. The day we buried him and spent time together laughing and telling ‘David’ stories was a punch to the gut of sweet sweet sorrow. We’re bonded in that forever now; you, me, Damean, Alfredo, Deelisa, and Rami… wow. 

David, I’ll never forget you or the things you taught me; your encouragement to just be a creative and work for myself has shaped me into who I am today and your words will always be part of My story. I love you, brother, and I dedicate this work to you. I’ll see you in the stars.